Topic started by johnn (@ jrc-cache5.jaring.my) on Mon Sep 2 14:52:36 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I would like to start a discussion about this art.
This art has been around as long as the Tamil culture and is considered one of the unique tamil art.It is a belief that the sage Agathiar was the founder of this art.As a fellow practioner of this art i would like to say that this art is unique when it comes to stick wielding and fencing.I am from Malaysia and have been practisng this art for more than 2 years and having been exposed to other martial art as well i say that this art stands apart from the others when it comes to stick fight techniques and beauty.There are several types of of styles in silambam, the one i practice is called "Kuravanji". This style of silambam is practised by MGR himself and can be seen in the duel between MGR and Sinnapa Thevar in the film "Thaiya Katha Tanniyen". Sinappa thevar practice the styel of "Thulukanum". Here in Malaysia, silambam is the name under in which other form of indian martial art like Bare hand techniques,Sword fight,Surul Vaal,sedi Kutchi and lost of other are being thought. Anyone who has learned of can discuss his or hers experience please.I think that more people should learn tis art because there a lot of hidden secrets and benefits to health when practising this art...any silambam master around please give your opninion..
thanx

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Venki (@ 61.1.232.204) on: Sat Jul 17 08:52:34 EDT 2004
  
  There may be weapons like swords or daggers or bicycle chains. And there may be multiple opponents. Here the muyai Thai or MMA techniques will not be as devastating as in the ring. Here a martial art like kalarippayattu can help you in many different ways. The use of the weapons will not be some thing unexpected for you. You know how to use them and you have trained how to escape from them. You have got training to face multiple opponents and you have been in real life situation within the kalari itself.
  
  AND THAT IS A BIG ADVANTAGE AND THAT IS THE ADVANTAGE.
  
  
• From: Venki (@ 61.1.232.204) on: Sat Jul 17 08:54:37 EDT 2004
  
  1.Pressure Point Attacks are a joke....reason simple no one is going
  to stand still and let you hit him/her.
  
  Yes. For people like you who do not have any experience in learning and training in the use of them. Yes no body will stand still and let you hit at one of the pressure points. It is YOU who should be able to hit them and the kalari training will make good enough for this.
  
  
  
• From: Venki (@ 61.1.232.204) on: Sat Jul 17 08:55:32 EDT 2004
  
  2.Punching and kicking air sums up to nothing much except sprained wrists ..the wrist will virtually collapse with every punch you connect in the street.
  
  Again it seems that you have a perverted view of the kalari training or that you have been led to think in this way by some of the "so called kalari experts". Kalari practitioners condition their body weapons by hitting on a plantain tree or an areca nut tree and I have yet to see any of the kalari practitioners injuring his wrists by practicing movements against air. Mind you I have been in the business for more than a quarter of a century.
  
  
  
• From: Venki (@ 61.1.232.204) on: Sat Jul 17 08:57:05 EDT 2004
  
  3.There is no reality based training eg.focus mitts,kick pads...
  
  Once again I feel really sorry for you. There is no need for focus mitts when you train with sticks , daggers . 2.Punching and kicking air sums up to nothing much except sprained wrists ..the wrist will virtually collapse with every punch you connect in the street.
  
  
  
• From: Venki (@ 61.1.232.204) on: Sat Jul 17 08:59:40 EDT 2004
  
  Again it seems that you have a perverted view of the kalari training or that you have been led to think in this way by some of the "so called kalari experts". Kalari practitioners condition their body weapons by hitting on a plantain tree or an areca nut tree and I have yet to see any of the kalari practitioners injuring his wrists by practicing movements against air. Mind you I have been in the business for more than a quarter of a century.
  
  
• From: Venki (@ 61.1.232.204) on: Sat Jul 17 09:01:02 EDT 2004
  
  spears and swords and anyway you cannot use focus mitts etc with weapons. Here again your own misconceptions about the kalari training is to be blamed.
  
  So do not think that just because you cannot comprehend some of the martial arts or just because you do not have full picture of the same, the art is useless for street survival or that the art is inferior to some thing else.
  
  As Mr.Senggaran has pointed out it seems that the Indians do not have a sense of pride in their martial culture and go after the imported fancy stuff. What a sad state.
  
  
• From: Venki (@ 61.1.232.204) on: Sat Jul 17 09:03:36 EDT 2004
  
  visit www.kalariworld.com
  
  
• From: Viknesh (@ bbcache-10.singnet.com.sg) on: Tue Jul 27 04:12:49 EDT 2004
  
  hey mofos im talking about empty hand fight....not some ritualised....weapon training.....and only a idiot will use focus mitts with weapons and btw i was talking about people injuring wrist by punching air....but i was refering to traditional martial artist who punch air for training and break it in a real fight...but whatever u might say iv yet to see a kalari practioner in the world martial arts scence
  
  
• From: Sukesh (@ emea-nc01.oracle.co.uk) on: Wed Jul 28 11:27:45 EDT 2004
  
  Little history..
  
  Kalaris the mother of all marshal arts forms like kung-foo and karate etc.. You can find info on orgination of kung-foo and shavolin temple.
  
  Silambam is one part of Kalaripayettu..
  
  
• From: venki (@ 61.1.233.18) on: Fri Jul 30 12:47:42 EDT 2004
  
  Oh Mr.Vighnesh!! I hope that you are NOT a school teacher! If you were one then certainly you would give your students English literature question papers for the bilogy examinations
  
  
• From: venki (@ 61.1.233.18) on: Fri Jul 30 13:00:02 EDT 2004
  
  You made some negative remarks against kalari as a means of self defence and vital points and I gave an explanations. Still it sems that you are carrying on with your ill conveived,premeditated and foolishly perverted ideas regarding kalari and silambam
  
  
• From: venki (@ 61.1.233.18) on: Fri Jul 30 13:02:45 EDT 2004
  
  It seems that you do not know anything about the ral martial arts or that you have some reasons best known to yourself to promote the cheap cobat sports. Remember kalari and silambam are for real battle fields NOT FOR FANCY RING FIGTHING
  
  
• From: venki (@ 61.1.233.18) on: Fri Jul 30 13:03:56 EDT 2004
  
  Before posting anything else do your home work and go through the history of oriental martial arts
  
  
• From: BIGSTICK (@ ca-santaanahub-cuda3-c9b-99.anhmca.adelphia.net) on: Fri Jul 30 21:41:43 EDT 2004
  
  Silambam should be changed to read "TAMIL SILAMBAM" to distinguish it from derivatives world over !
  
  
• From: S.RAJESWARAN (@ 61.1.213.106) on: Wed Aug 4 21:09:34 EDT 2004
  
  well, i need more information about silambam, do you help me
  
  
• From: venki (@ 61.1.233.241) on: Thu Aug 5 07:54:03 EDT 2004
  
  just click at www.kalariworld.com there is a small section on silambam soon there will be a fullfledged silambam site just like kalriworld
  
  
• From: kenneth house (@ cache-mtc-ae09.proxy.aol.com) on: Sun Aug 8 21:15:16 EDT 2004
  
  Greetings, All,
  
  I'd like to clear up some myths:
  
  Kalari experts will break their wrists....This statement was made without proof by the poster. Kalari is no different than any other MA tradition in this regard.
  
  2. Kalari is the mother of all MAs. Not true. It is not even the mother of all/most Indian MAs. It is, simply, the ancient Indian MA practiced in Kerala State and one of India's few MAs still extant. Kalari is NOT the origin of AFRICAN CAPEOIRA or FRENCH SAVATE.
  
  3. Kalari's "forms" practice is to acquaint ones body with doing its techniques properly. They (the forms) were not designed as a means of self-defense in and of themselves. They are merely a teaching tool; no more, no less.
  
  To Be Cont'd...
  
  
• From: venki (@ 61.1.232.113) on: Mon Aug 9 08:17:37 EDT 2004
  
  No one can make the claim that Kalari is the mother of ALL martial arts. Martial arts evolved in differet cultures around the world independantly and the cultural interaction that took place between India and China in the ancient days helped the spread of kalari techniques in the orient. Even inside the indian subcontinent different cultures had their own martial traditions. But one can trace the roots of all such martial arts to the vedic tradition.
  
  
• From: Lingges (@ jlp-204-35.tm.net.my) on: Sun Sep 5 09:01:58
  
  My name is linggeswaran and one of silambam student and i need ur help ,whereby i need the list of lesson from black belt to white belt.Hope can get it soon.Mail me rastax _eswar@yahoo.com
  
  
• From: geofrey (@ ) on: Wed Sep 29 11:58:05
  
  i never heard of this art i even dint know it existed but i can oly belive if i know what is made aout of if .
  i see i must see it to belive it
  
  
• From: venki (@ 61.1.232.188) on: Thu Sep 30 09:12:18 EDT 2004
  
  Hi
  geofrey
  
  There are many sites in the web giving details of silambam. Just one of them is www.kalariworld.com
  
  

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